Early life and career
His parents were Nicasio Armas Figueroa and Modesta Enguaima Hernandez. He has four brothers and sisters; Domingo, Algeria, Felipa and Margoth. When he was nine his family traveled from Los Guatacaros to Caño Morocho near Zaraza, and it was there at the age of 11, that he began to take part with local musicians in parrandas and dances. At the age of twelve composes his first song: Mi Primer Amor (My first Love). At the age of 15 makes debut in a dominical program of Radio Zaraza lead by Pompeyo Higuera, soon he enters in the gaita group Los Bravos de la Loma for which he composed several carols and aguinaldos, under the direction of the teacher Jose Antonio Blanca of the Copleros de Unare.
At the age of 16, participates in a contrapunteo festival that was made in El Faro club, and makes trophy and money from the attending public. With 17 years travels to Caracas, and started to sing in night clubs, but for folkloric music, there were only a few clubs available.
His first idol was José Romero Bello, a very respected singer and composer and one of the first interpreters of “Florentino y el Diablo”, also next to El Carrao de Palmarito. Reynaldo Armas was baptized with the pseudonym El Cardenal Sabanero when he traveled with Romero Bello to San Fernando de Apure and participated in the festival “Cantaclaro de Oro” singing a version of the Florentino de Oro. This was in 1973, and he obtained second place out of 18 participants. In 1975 he returned to the festival and took first place, the same in Valencia, Venezuela with the “Cucarachero de Oro”, in San Carlos of Austria wins as composer, the Miranda de Oro in Los Teques and many but like contrapunteador and solo singer. Between 1975 and 1976 he records two singles, first with the name: Mi primer Amor y Cariño fingido and the second: Recorriendo a Venezuela and El Revolucionario.
In 1977 Reynaldo Armas records his first LP with the support of Rafael Martínez Arteaga El Cazador Novato, that in that time was with greatly popular in Venezuela and Colombia with several folkloric poems. Yo También quiero cantar was the name of that album, it was not a success in the radios, because in that time the folk music only sounded in certain programs at night and in the TV wasn't widely available.
In 1978, with the LP La inspiración del poeta, Reynaldo begins his popularity around the country, a folk music with romanticism, penetrating the most important cities conquering the market and public of different ages and gender, becoming a Messiah for the llanero music.
From then on it has been a parade of successes without parallel; the prizes and recognitions come and go and as do the decorations. Prizes like the Guaicaipuro de Oro, Meridiano, Ronda, Mara, Cacique, Tiuna, Venus, among others.
He has written more than three hundred songs and has recorded twenty-six albums, all with his own compositions, except three songs from the first album, that belong to El Cazador Novato. He constantly travels to Colombia where has a parallel market, also to the United States and Europe. Reynaldo Armas is certainly one of the most important venezuelan folk singers of all time.
No Hay Mal Que Dure Cien Años
Reynaldo Armas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y un arsenal de conquistas
Más un tropel de ilusiones
Que no lo alcanza la vista
Tuve momentos de luz
Que parecía infinita
Así como las tempestades
Hoy después de tanto y tanto
Superando los quebrantos
Tengo una pasión distinta
Gracias por este milagro
Virgen del Carmen bendita
Era lo que yo esperaba
No será la mas bonita
Pero tiene el alma buena
Y eso es lo que necesita
Si ayer me las comí verdes
Hoy las como maduritas
No hay mal que dure cien años
Ni cuerpo que lo resista
Hoy después de tanto y tanto
Superando los quebrantos
Tengo una pasión distinta
No hay mal que dure cien años
Ni cuerpo que lo resista
Hablando:
Este canto es para ti, amor querido
Espero que lo disfrutes en tu corazón
Dios te bendiga
! Disfrútalo mi amor... es para ti!
Yo tengo un presentimiento
O una corazonada
Que una mujer como tú
Era lo que me faltaba
Ya me verán sonreír
Sin detenerme ante nada
Feliz con mi gran amor
Celebrando su llegada
Adiós pañuelito blanco
El que mojé con mi llanto
En mis noches solitarias
Allí te dejo un suspiro
Mis penas y mis plegarias
Adiós botalón de ordeño
Tinajero y campechana
Me voy mi viejo trapiche
No sé si vuelvo mañana
Mi amigo el camino real
Coméntaselo a la palma
Lo que les debo en la vida
No se compensa con nada
Adiós pañuelito blanco
El que mojé con mi llanto
En mis noches solitarias
Lo que les debo en la vida
No se compensa con nada
In Reynaldo Armas's song "No Hay Mal Que Dure Cien Años," the singer reflects on his past experiences with love and relationships. He had many conquests, illusions, and moments of light that seemed endless. However, those moments were swept away by the storms of life, leaving him without joy. After overcoming so many hardships, he has found a different passion, which he credits to the Virgin of Carmen. It may not be the most beautiful, but it has a good soul, which is all that matters. He compares his experiences to eating unripe fruit in the past, but now he is savoring the ripe ones. The song's title means "No Bad Lasts a Hundred Years, Nor Any Body That Can Endure It," suggesting that no matter how bad things may seem, they will eventually come to an end.
The singer also bids farewell to several objects that were once important to him, such as a white handkerchief that he used to wipe away his tears on lonely nights, a botalon de ordeño (a type of container for milking cows), a tinajero (a clay pot used for storing water), a campechana (a type of hat), and a trapiche (a type of sugar mill). He admits that he does not know if he will ever return, but he hopes his friend, the Royal Road, will inform the palm tree of his departure and the debt he owes to Life cannot be repaid with anything.
The song speaks to the universal human experience of seeking and losing love, but it also acknowledges the power of perseverance and hope. It suggests that nothing lasts forever and that even the most difficult of situations will eventually come to an end. The singer's farewell to certain objects, and potentially a place, may symbolize his readiness to let go of the past and embrace his new passion.
Line by Line Meaning
Amores había tenido
I had had loves
Y un arsenal de conquistas
And an arsenal of conquests
Más un tropel de ilusiones
Plus a host of illusions
Que no lo alcanza la vista
That the sight cannot reach
Tuve momentos de luz
I had moments of light
Que parecía infinita
That seemed infinite
Así como las tempestades
Just like storms
Que me robaron la dicha
That robbed me of happiness
Hoy después de tanto y tanto
Today after so much
Superando los quebrantos
Overcoming the hardships
Tengo una pasión distinta
I have a different passion
Gracias por este milagro
Thanks for this miracle
Virgen del Carmen bendita
Blessed Virgin of Carmen
Era lo que yo esperaba
It was what I was expecting
No será la mas bonita
She may not be the most beautiful
Pero tiene el alma buena
But she has a good soul
Y eso es lo que necesita
And that's what I need
Si ayer me las comí verdes
If yesterday I ate them unripe
Hoy las como maduritas
Today I eat them ripe
No hay mal que dure cien años
No hardship lasts a hundred years
Ni cuerpo que lo resista
Nor a body that can withstand it
Este canto es para ti, amor querido
This song is for you, my dear love
Espero que lo disfrutes en tu corazón
I hope you enjoy it in your heart
Dios te bendiga
God bless you
! Disfrútalo mi amor... es para ti!
Enjoy it, my love... it's for you!
Yo tengo un presentimiento
I have a feeling
O una corazonada
Or a hunch
Que una mujer como tú
That a woman like you
Era lo que me faltaba
Was what I was missing
Ya me verán sonreír
They will see me smile
Sin detenerme ante nada
Without stopping at anything
Feliz con mi gran amor
Happy with my great love
Celebrando su llegada
Celebrating her arrival
Adiós pañuelito blanco
Goodbye white handkerchief
El que mojé con mi llanto
That I wet with my tears
En mis noches solitarias
In my lonely nights
Allí te dejo un suspiro
I leave you a sigh there
Mis penas y mis plegarias
My sorrows and my prayers
Adiós botalón de ordeño
Goodbye milk can
Tinajero y campechana
Water jar and small table
Me voy mi viejo trapiche
I'm leaving my old sugar mill
No sé si vuelvo mañana
I don't know if I'll come back tomorrow
Mi amigo el camino real
My friend the royal road
Coméntaselo a la palma
Tell it to the palm tree
Lo que les debo en la vida
What I owe them in life
No se compensa con nada
Cannot be compensated for
Contributed by Alexis N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.